Kamal Ghorui
Oracle has laid off approximately 700 workers across California and these workers are expected to lose their jobs by June 1, California state records show. These job cuts are a part of the larger layoffs that the software giant led by billionaire Larry Ellison announced earlier this month as the company pushes forward with what can be be one of the largest layoffs in the company’s history.A report by New York Post also reported the breakdown by location: 310 workers in Redwood City, 184 in Santa Clara, 158 in Pleasanton and 50 in Santa Monica. Add to that 491 more firings in Seattle, and the publicly confirmed toll already runs close to 1,200 jobs.
‘Oracle may cut 30,000 jobs’
Oracle’s mass layoffs were communicated in emails telling staff: “After careful consideration of Oracle’s current business needs, we have made the decision to eliminate your role as part of a broader organisational change. As a result, today is your last working day.”Affected workers were informed via emails at 6am, saying that they would be “eligible to receive a severance package subject to the terms and conditions of the severance plan.”Earlier this year, analysts at investment bank TD Cowen predicted that Oracle may cut as many as 30,000 workers and potentially sell off some of its assets as it moves aggressively to finance a push into AI infrastructure.
‘Controversy’ around H-1B filings
Apart from job cuts, Oracle was also mired in a controversy that revolves around the H-1B filings. According to federal data from the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Oracle submitted about 3,126 petitions to employ H-1B workers in the fiscal years 2025 and 2026, with 436 of those petitions filed in 2026 alone. The H-1B visa programme allows employers to hire foreign nationals in specialised occupations such as tech and defence. MAGA supporters say that companies hiring large numbers of H-1B workers disadvantages American workers.Meanwhile, the New York Post report says that the wave of layoffs recorded more than 52,000 job cuts in the first three months of 2026, a noticeable increase compared with the same period last year, as AI reshapes employment patterns.
